1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a protective wrapping device for shielding a condenser tube of a heat exchanger, more particularly to a protective wrapping device adapted for shielding removably the condenser tube of the heat exchanger which is used in an air conditioning system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional condenser for an air conditioning system is shown to include a zigzag condenser tube 1 for flow of a refrigerant therethrough, and a cooling tower 3 and a water collecting tank 4 which are disposed above and below the tube 1. Water in the cooling tower 3 falls down for removal of heat of the tube 1 and is collected by the collecting tank 4. Then, the water can be pumped into the cooling tower 3 for circulation.
Since water scales and the like, which are formed on the outer surface of the tube 1, will affect adversely the water cooling operation, it is necessary to clean the tube 1 for removing the same. However, the cleaning operation is inconvenient to conduct because of the zigzag shape of the tube.
The object of the present invention is to provide a protective wrapping device which can be applied to shield a condenser tube of a heat exchanger and which can be removed therefrom for cleaning, thereby prolonging the service life of the condenser tube.
According to this invention, the protective wrapping device includes complementary first and second shell walls made of a heat conductive material. The first shell wall has a first major wall portion which is elongated in an axial direction, which extends about an axis in the axial direction so as to be adapted to wrap around a first outer wall half of a condenser tube, and which terminates at two axially extending first edge surfaces that are spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction transverse to the axial direction. The first major wall portion has first outer and inner wall surfaces which respectively extend about the axis and which are opposite to each other, and a plurality of first grooves which are formed in the first outer wall surface and which are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. Each first groove extends about the axis and towards the two first edge surfaces. The second shell wall has a second major wall portion which is elongated in the axial direction, which extends about the axis so as to be adapted to wrap around a second outer wall half of the condenser tube, and which terminates at two axially extending second edge surfaces that are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction. Each second edge surface is configured to complementarily mate with a respective one of the first edge surfaces so as to define a receiving chamber between the first and second shell walls for receiving fittingly the condenser tube. The second major wall portion has second outer and inner wall surfaces which respectively extend about the axis and which are opposite to each other, and a plurality of second grooves which are formed in the second outer wall surface and which are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. Each second groove extends about the axis and towards the second edge surfaces, and is registered with a respective one of the first grooves when the first and second shell walls mate with each other so as to bring the first and second grooves in a looped line. Each of a plurality of tightening members is inserted into a registered pair of the first and second grooves along the looped line to tighten the first and second shell walls to each other so as to secure the first and second shell walls to the condenser tube.